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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Pensions: Minister can't give certainty over triple lock | Pensions: Minister can't give certainty over triple lock |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said he cannot give people "certainty" over how much their pensions will increase by next year. | Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has said he cannot give people "certainty" over how much their pensions will increase by next year. |
| Two weeks ago the PM said she would stick to the triple lock, meaning payments would rise by whatever is higher - prices, average wages or 2.5%. | Two weeks ago the PM said she would stick to the triple lock, meaning payments would rise by whatever is higher - prices, average wages or 2.5%. |
| But on Tuesday, her spokesman said she was "not making any commitments" on government spending. | But on Tuesday, her spokesman said she was "not making any commitments" on government spending. |
| Labour has suggested it would keep the pensions triple lock. | |
| Liz Truss will face MPs at Prime Minister's Questions later for the first time since sacking her chancellor and scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced by her government last month. | Liz Truss will face MPs at Prime Minister's Questions later for the first time since sacking her chancellor and scrapping almost all the tax cuts announced by her government last month. |
| While the PM's team think her engagement with MPs this week and been warm and improved her position, Ms Truss is still under immense pressure, with her authority undermined after she abandoned her flagship policies. | |
| One ally of the PM said she was determined to get on the with the job, but at midday her fight for survival will play out in public, as she faces questions from Labour and her own backbenchers in Parliament. | One ally of the PM said she was determined to get on the with the job, but at midday her fight for survival will play out in public, as she faces questions from Labour and her own backbenchers in Parliament. |
| Cost of living fears as milk and cereal prices rise | Cost of living fears as milk and cereal prices rise |
| Three ways Tories could get rid of Truss | Three ways Tories could get rid of Truss |
| Asked whether the government was still committed to the triple lock, Mr Cleverly told BBC Breakfast ministers took manifesto commitments "incredibly seriously". | Asked whether the government was still committed to the triple lock, Mr Cleverly told BBC Breakfast ministers took manifesto commitments "incredibly seriously". |
| "I know your viewers would want me to give certainty here and now. I'm not in a position to do that because the announcements are going to be made in the very, very near future by the chancellor," he said. | "I know your viewers would want me to give certainty here and now. I'm not in a position to do that because the announcements are going to be made in the very, very near future by the chancellor," he said. |
| "We've got to do the right thing to make sure we manage the economy well. We've got to make sure that our cost of borrowing doesn't go up because that then has an impact on inflation and those bills as well." | "We've got to do the right thing to make sure we manage the economy well. We've got to make sure that our cost of borrowing doesn't go up because that then has an impact on inflation and those bills as well." |
| New Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is due to give a statement on the government's plans for tax and spending on 31 October. | New Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is due to give a statement on the government's plans for tax and spending on 31 October. |
| All government departments have been told to find savings, and Mr Hunt has not ruled out further tax hikes and spending cuts to reassure financial markets and keep UK debt under control. | All government departments have been told to find savings, and Mr Hunt has not ruled out further tax hikes and spending cuts to reassure financial markets and keep UK debt under control. |
| Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - is running at a 40-year high of 10.1%, meaning wages, pensions and benefits are not keeping up with the cost of living. | Inflation - the rate at which prices rise - is running at a 40-year high of 10.1%, meaning wages, pensions and benefits are not keeping up with the cost of living. |
| A decision on how much to increase pensions by next April has not been made yet and would normally be expected this autumn. | A decision on how much to increase pensions by next April has not been made yet and would normally be expected this autumn. |
| The triple lock has been in place ever since it was introduced under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, apart from a one-year suspension during the pandemic. | The triple lock has been in place ever since it was introduced under the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition, apart from a one-year suspension during the pandemic. |
| The Resolution Foundation think tank has estimated raising pensions by earnings instead of inflation would save the government £6bn next year. | The Resolution Foundation think tank has estimated raising pensions by earnings instead of inflation would save the government £6bn next year. |
| The government has also refused to commit to increasing benefits in line with inflation, a pledge made by Ms Truss's predecessor Boris Johnson. The issue dominated the Tory party conference in Birmingham - and breaking previous commitments on pensions and benefits is likely to face opposition from many Tory MPs. | |
| Previously supportive newspapers, the Daily Mail and the Daily Express, also attacked the prime minister over the failure to commit to the triple lock on their front pages on Wednesday. | |
| Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said Labour was committed to keeping the triple lock "no ifs, no buts", as well as increasing benefits in line with inflation. | |
| However, shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy was less unequivocal when asked about the issue. | |
| While she said the party was committed to increasing benefits with inflation, on pensions she said the government could not set out what it was going to do in two years time because it did not know what the economic situation would be. | |
| But she told BBC Radio 5 Live protecting pensioners would be "a priority" for the next Labour government. | |
| The prime minister was pictured leaving Downing Street on Tuesday night to meet Eurosceptic MPs | |
| Ms Truss's performance at PMQs, only her third since taking office, will be watched closely as she battles to save her leadership. | |
| Five of her own MPs have now publicly called for her to resign, while many more have privately said she will have to go. | |
| Tactics reportedly under consideration to oust her include submitting no-confidence letters in an attempt to force her into resigning. | |
| There has also been speculation some MPs could push party bosses into changing the rules to allow an early leadership challenge. | |
| However, there is little agreement over who should take over from Ms Truss if she is removed. | |
| Tory Party members also appear to be turning against Ms Truss, despite most backing her to become PM. | |
| A YouGov poll of 530 members found 55% now thought she should resign. |